Understanding Moral Values and Rules
Moral Values
As we act, we have to choose and decide what we will do. This choice is not usually made randomly, but guided by our reason. If we have several possibilities, we favor the possibility we prefer because it has “something” that makes it more estimable than the other options. That “something” is its value. For example, the generosity of a friend, the beauty of a painting, the usefulness of a pen, etc. As we can see, there are different kinds of values (economic, aesthetic, religious, moral or ethical, etc.), but they are all characterized by:
Characteristics of Values
- They are special qualities that we assign to objects, people, or actions.
- Only humans are able to assess these qualities.
However, to be more specific, we are facing moral values when we think that:
Characteristics of Moral Values
- They should be appreciated and respected necessarily.
- They are universal; that is, they are valid for all individuals without exception.
- We appreciate them by themselves, not because they could provide us some selfish benefit, or because we are conditioned by social, economic, or political interests.
For example, justice, generosity, honesty, sincerity, dignity, and equality are values that can be considered universal because they should be desired and respected by everyone. Moreover, we think that their validity should not be conditioned by historical periods or personal interests.
Therefore, moral values are those human qualities or ideals that we appreciate by themselves and aspire to be universal. However, any value is opposed by a countervalue or negative value. So, goodness is opposed by evil; freedom by slavery; equality by inequality; and justice by injustice. And in the same way we appreciate the positive moral values, we reject the negative ones.
Throughout life, as a result of our experience and reflection as we grow as persons, we organize these values in a hierarchy that makes up our moral identity. This hierarchy of values:
The Hierarchy of Values
- Helps us to place ourselves in reality and to interpret it.
- Guides our behavior and directs us in the decisions we make to develop our present and future life.
Our moral identity can obviously be modified, since we can incorporate new values and discard others that we do not consider important anymore.
Moral Rules
Among the various types of rules governing the behavior of a particular individual who lives in society, we will focus specifically on moral rules. Moral rules come from moral values and we use them to guide our actions and behavior. For example, if we value friendship and sincerity, it is likely that we will also accept the rule “I must be sincere with friends.”
However, moral rules are not written in any book (unlike, for example, legal laws), nor is there necessarily a specific authority to force us to obey them. When we obey moral rules, for example, when we keep a promise we made or when we tell the truth even if it hurts, and we do it freely and consciously, why do we do that? There are two possible answers to this question:
Reasons for Obeying Moral Rules
- Moral Heteronomy: Because we are guided by an external order to our conscience imposed by an authority which is recognized by us: parents, political or religious authority, or simply because of the fear of punishment if we do not obey that rule. For example, when I do a morally correct action, such as telling the truth, only because of the fear of the consequences if I am caught in a lie.
- Moral Autonomy: Because of our own conviction about what we do is what should be done. In this case, we are not guided by mere personal opinions, but we assume rationally and voluntarily the values and rules of the society in which we live.
Therefore, we can define moral rules as those behavioral patterns, habits, or norms that aim to regulate the coexistence of people in society. Generally, they are expressed in the form of orders or imperatives that compel us to behave in a certain way, and they have their origin in a series of moral values.